Radio communications system, radio network controller and base station

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a radio communications system which transmits same downlink information to a plurality of cells by using downlink common channels. The radio communications system includes a radio network controller and a base station. The radio communications system is configured to measure delays between the time when the radio network controller transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station transmits the downlink information to each of the plurality of cells; and to control timing for transmitting the downlink information to each of the plurality of cells by the base station in accordance with measured delays.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and is based upon and claims thebenefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 for U.S. Ser. No. 11/019,350,filed Dec. 23, 2004, and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.§ 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-435314, filed Dec. 26,2003, the entire contents of each are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a radio communications system whichtransmits same downlink information to a plurality of cells by usingdownlink common channels, a radio network controller and a base station.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a conventional radio communications system using the W-CDMA(Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access) method, upon receiving downlinkinformation transmitted over a downlink common channel, a mobile stationis configured to detect a cell having the smallest path loss in areceived pilot channel from among a plurality of cells as a cell towhich the mobile station should establish a radio link, and to receivethe downlink common channel (the downlink information) only from thedetected cell.

In other words, in the conventional radio communications system usingthe W-CDMA method, unlike a dedicated channel which enables softhandover processing, the mobile station is not configured to receive thedownlink common channel (the downlink information) from a plurality ofcells.

However, as described above, the mobile station can only receive adownlink common channel transmitted from one cell, in the conventionalradio communications system.

Therefore, there is a problem in that transmission power of the downlinkcommon channel is required to be increased in order to make receptionqualities in the neighborhood of cell borders high, so that the downlinkcommunication capacity is deteriorated.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In viewing of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a radio communications system which controls transmission timingof downlink common channels among a plurality of cells so that a mobilestation receives and combines the downlink common channels from theplurality of cells, a radio network controller and a base station.

A first aspect of the present invention is summarized as a radiocommunications system which transmits same downlink information to aplurality of cells by using downlink common channels. The radiocommunications system includes a radio network controller and a basestation. The radio communications system is configured to measure eachdelay time between the time when the radio network controller transmitsthe downlink information and the time when the base station transmitsthe downlink information to each of the plurality of cells; and tocontrol timing for transmitting the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells by the base station, in accordance with each ofmeasured delay times.

A second aspect of the present invention is summarized as a radionetwork controller used in a radio communications system in which a basestation transmits same downlink information to a plurality of cells byusing downlink common channels. The radio network controller includes ameasurer configured to measure each delay time between the time when theradio network controller transmits the downlink information and the timewhen the base station transmits the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells; and a controller configured to control timing fortransmitting the downlink information to each of the plurality of cellsby the base station, in accordance with each of measured delay times.

In the second aspect, the measurer can be configured to measure thedelay time in accordance with timing difference information acquiredwhen node synchronization is established between the radio networkcontroller and the base station.

In the second aspect, the measurer can be configured to measure thedelay time in accordance with timing difference information acquiredwhen synchronization of a common channel is established between theradio network controller and the base station.

In the second aspect, the measurer can be configured to measure thedelay times in accordance with the sum of each cell unique timing offsetand each cell common channel timing offset, the cell unique timingoffset being a difference between transmission timing of a base stationcommon frame which is common in the base station and transmission timingof a cell unique frame which is unique to each of the plurality ofcells, the cell common channel timing offset being a difference betweenthe transmission timing of the cell unique frame and transmission timingof a cell common channel frame which is common in the plurality ofcells.

In the second aspect, the controller can be configured to transmit thedownlink information to the base station at timing earlier than areference transmission timing by each of measured delay times; and toinstruct the base station to transmit the downlink information to eachof the plurality of cells without waiting each of the measured delaytimes.

In the second aspect, the measurer can be configured to measure eachdelay time difference which is a difference between each of measureddelay times and each of maximum permissible delay times in the pluralityof cells; and the controller can be configured to instruct the basestation to delay transmission of the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells by each of the delay time differences.

A third aspect of the present invention is summarized as a base stationwhich transmits same downlink information to a plurality of cells byusing downlink common channels. The base station includes an acquirerconfigured to acquire each delay time difference between each of delaytimes and each of maximum permissible delay times in the plurality ofcells, the delay time being a difference between the time when a radionetwork controller transmits the downlink information and the time whenthe base station transmits the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells; and a transmitter configured to delay transmissionof the downlink information transmitted from the radio networkcontroller to each of the plurality of cells by each of acquired delaytime differences.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is summarized as a base stationwhich transmits same downlink information to a plurality of cells byusing downlink common channels. The base station includes a transmitterconfigured to transmit the downlink information transmitted from a radionetwork controller to each of the plurality of cells, in accordance withtransmission timing instructed by the radio network controller for eachof the plurality of cells.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire configuration of a radiocommunications system according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a radio network controlleraccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method for measuring a delay timeby a delay time measuring unit of the radio network controller accordingto the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of contents stored in a delaytime storing unit of the radio network controller according to the firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method for transmitting a downlinkcommon channel to a plurality of cells in a radio communications systemaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation of the radio communicationssystem according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of contents stored in a delaytime storing unit of a radio network controller according to a secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method for transmitting a downlinkcommon channel to a plurality of cells in a radio communications systemaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of a base station according to thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of the radio communicationssystem according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for measuring a delay timeby a delay time measuring unit of a radio network controller accordingto an modification 1 of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a method for measuring a delay timeby a delay time measuring unit of a radio network controller accordingto an modification 2 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A Configuration of a RadioCommunications System According to a First Embodiment of the PresentInvention

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a configuration of a radio communicationssystem according to a first embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire configuration of theradio communications system according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the radio communications system according to theembodiment includes two base stations 20A and 20B under the control of aradio network controller 10.

The base station 20A is configured to manage two cells 1-1 and 1-2, thebase station 20B is configured to manage two cells 2-1 and 2-2. the“cell” which is used in the embodiment means both a cell which had beenused conventionally and a sector which had been used conventionally.

In the radio communications system according to the embodiment, the basestations are configured to transmit same downlink information to aplurality of cells by using downlink common channels.

To be more specific, the base station 20A is configured to transmit thesame downlink information to the cell 1-1 and the cell 1-2, by using adownlink common channel for the cell 1-1 and a downlink common channelfor the cell 1-2, respectively.

The base station 20B is configured to transmit downlink information sameas the downlink information transmitted from the base station 20A to thecell 2-1 and the cell 2-2, by using a downlink common channel for thecell 2-1 and a downlink common channel for the cell 2-2, respectively.

The mobile station 30 is configured to receive the same downlinkinformation transmitted in the cell 1-1, the cell 1-2, the cell 2-1 andthe cell 2-2 over the downlink common channel for the cell 1-1, thedownlink common channel for the cell 1-2, the downlink common channelfor the cell 2-1 and the downlink common channel for the cell 2-2,respectively, so as to perform a soft combining process or a selectivecombining process.

The radio network controller 10 can be configured to transmit thedownlink information to the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2 without regardto the base stations 20A and 20B.

The radio network controller 10 can be configured to transmit thedownlink information to each of the base stations 20A and 20B via eachlink which is established between the radio network controller 10 andeach of the base stations 20A and 20B.

Each of the base stations 20A and 20B is configured to transmit thereceived downlink information to each cell which is contained in each ofthe base stations 20A and 20B, by using the downlink common channel foreach cell.

As shown in FIG. 2, the radio network controller 10 includes a delaytime measuring unit 11, a delay time storing unit 12 and a transmissiontiming controlling unit 13.

The delay time measuring unit 11 is configured to measure each delaytime between the time when the radio network controller 10 transmits thedownlink information and the time when the base station 20A (or 20B)transmits the downlink information to each of the plurality of cells 1-1and 1-2 (or 2-1 and 2-2).

The delay time measuring unit 11 can be configured to measure the abovementioned delay time, in accordance with timing difference informationacquired when node synchronization is established between the radionetwork controller 10 and the base station 20A (or 20B).

To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 3, when node synchronization isestablished between the radio network controller 10 and the base station20A (or 20B), the radio network controller 10 transmits a nodesynchronization request signal to the base station 20A (or 20B) and thebase station 20A (or 20B) transmits a node synchronization responsesignal to the radio network controller 10 in response to the nodesynchronization request signal.

The delay time measuring unit 11 is configured to acquire the abovementioned timing difference information (for example, the following“RFN_BFN timing offset”) from the received node synchronization responsesignal.

The delay time storing unit 12 is configured to store the abovementioned delay time per cell. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, thedelay time storing unit 12 is configured to store a “base station”, a“cell” and a “delay time” in association with each other.

In an example of FIG. 4, the delay time between the time when the radionetwork controller 10 transmits the downlink information and the timewhen the base station 20A transmits the downlink information to the cell1-1 is “X1”.

The delay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20A transmits the downlink information to the cell 1-2 is “X2”.

The delay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20B transmits the downlink information to the cell 2-1 is “X3”.

The delay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20B transmits the downlink information to the cell 2-2 is “X4”.

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 is configured to controltiming for transmitting the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells 1-1 and 1-2 (or 2-1 and 2-2) by the base station 20A(or 20B), in accordance with each of delay times stored in the delaytime storing unit 12.

To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 5, the transmission timingcontrolling unit 13 is configured to transmit the downlink informationto the base stations 20A and 20B at timing earlier than a referencetransmission timing by each of the delay times, and to instruct the basestations 20A and 20B to transmit the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2 without waiting the each of delay times.

In an example of FIG. 5, the transmission timing controlling unit 13 isconfigured to transmit the downlink information to the base station 20Aat timing earlier than a reference transmission timing by the delay timeX1, and to instruct the base station 20A to transmit the downlinkinformation to the cell 1-1 without waiting the delay time X1 (i.e.immediately).

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 is configured to transmitthe downlink information to the base station 20A at timing earlier thana reference transmission timing by the delay time X2, and to instructthe base station 20A to transmit the downlink information to the cell1-2 without waiting the delay time X2 (i.e. immediately).

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 is configured to transmitthe downlink information to the base station 20B at timing earlier thana reference transmission timing by the delay time X3, and to instructthe base station 20B to transmit the downlink information to the cell2-1 without waiting the delay time X3 (i.e. immediately).

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 is configured to transmitthe downlink information to the base station 20B at timing earlier thana reference transmission timing by the delay time X4, and to instructthe base station 20B to transmit the downlink information to the cell2-2 without waiting the delay time X4 (i.e. immediately).

<An Operation of the Radio Communications System According to the FirstEmbodiment>

Referring to FIG. 6, an operation of the radio communications systemaccording to the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, in step S1001, the delay time measuring unit 11 ofthe radio network controller 10 measures each delay time between thetime when the radio network controller 10 transmits the downlinkinformation and the time when each of the base stations 20A and 20Btransmits the downlink information to each of the plurality of cells 1-1to 2-2.

In step S1002, the delay time storing unit 12 of the radio networkcontroller 10 stores the delay times measured by the delay timemeasuring unit 11 of the radio network controller 10.

In step S1003, the transmission timing controlling unit 13 of the radionetwork controller 10 transmits the downlink information to the basestations 20A and 20B at timing earlier than a reference transmissiontiming by each of the delay times, and to instruct the base stations 20Aand 20B to transmit the downlink information to each of the plurality ofcells 1-1 to 2-2 immediately.

In step S1004, each of the base stations 20A and 20B transmits thereceived downlink information by using the downlink common channel foreach cell immediately.

Subsequently, the mobile station 30 performs the soft combining processor the selective combining process on the plurality of same downlinkinformation received in the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2.

<Functions and Effects of the Radio Communications System According tothe First Embodiment>

According to the radio communications system of the first embodiment, itis possible for each of the base stations 20A and 20B to control thetiming for transmitting the downlink information to the plurality ofcells 1-1 to 2-2, in accordance with the delay time between the timewhen the radio network controller 10 transmits the downlink informationand the time when each of the base stations 20A and 20B transmits thedownlink information to each of the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2.Therefore, the mobile station 30 can receive and combine the downlinkcommon channels from the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2.

A Second Embodiment of the Present Invention

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10, a radio communications system according to asecond embodiment of the present invention will be described.Hereinafter, the difference between the radio communications systemaccording to the first embodiment and the radio communications systemaccording to the second embodiment will be explained mainly.

The delay time measuring unit 11 of the radio network controller 10 isconfigured to measure each delay time difference which is a differencebetween each of measured delay times and each of maximum permissibledelay times in the plurality of cells.

The delay time storing unit 12 is configured to store the delay time andthe delay time difference per cell. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, thedelay time storing unit 12 is configured to store a “base station”, a“cell”, a “delay time” and a “delay time difference”.

In an example of FIG. 7, the maximum permissible delay time in each cellis “X4”, the delay time between the time when the radio networkcontroller 10 transmits the downlink information and the time when thebase station 20A transmits the downlink information to the cell 1-1 is“X1”, the delay time difference in the cell 1-1 is “Y1 (X4−X1)”.

The delay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20A transmits the downlink information to the cell 1-2 is “X2”, thedelay time difference in the cell 1-2 is “Y2 (X4−X2)”.

The delay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20B transmits the downlink information to the cell 2-1 is “X3”, thedelay time difference in the cell 2-1 is “Y3 (X4−X3)”.

The delay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20B transmits the downlink information to the cell 2-2 is “X4”, thedelay time difference in the cell 2-2 is “Y4 (X4−X4=0)”.

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 is configured to instructthe base stations 20A and 20B to delay transmission of the downlinkinformation to each of the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2 by each of thedelay time differences, by transmitting transmission timing informationincluding the above mentioned delay time differences.

To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 8, the transmission timingcontrolling unit 13 instructs the base station 20A to delay transmissionof the downlink common channel for the cell 1-1 including the downlinkinformation to the cell 1-1 by the delay time difference Y1.

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 instructs the base station20A to delay transmission of the downlink common channel for the cell1-2 including the downlink information to the cell 1-2 by the delay timedifference Y2.

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 instructs the base station20B to delay transmission of the downlink common channel for the cell2-1 including the downlink information to the cell 2-1 by the delay timedifference Y3.

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 instructs the base station20B to delay transmission of the downlink common channel for the cell2-2 including the downlink information to the cell 2-2 by the delay timedifference Y4. In other words, transmission timing controlling unit 13instructs the base station 20B to transmit the downlink common channelfor the cell 2-2 to the cell 2-2 immediately.

The transmission timing controlling unit 13 can be configured totransmit the transmission timing information including the delay timeper cell and the maximum permissible delay times in the plurality ofcells, instead of the above mentioned transmission timing informationincluding the delay time difference.

As shown in FIG. 9, the base station 20A includes cell processing unitscorresponding to cells which are managed by the base station 20A.

In FIG. 9, a cell 1-1 processing unit 21 and a cell 1-2 processing unit22 are described as a representative of the cell processing units.

In the embodiment, since the configuration of the base station 20A issame as the configuration of the base station 20B essentially,hereinafter, the configuration of the base station 20A will bedescribed.

Moreover, in the embodiment, since the configuration of the cell 1-1processing unit 21 is same as the configuration of the cell 1-2processing unit 22 essentially, hereinafter, the configuration of thecell 1-1 processing unit 21 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the cell 1-1 processing unit 21 includes a signalreceiving unit 21 a, a transmission timing information receiving unit 21b and a signal transmitting unit 21 c.

The signal receiving unit 21 a is configured to receive same downlinkinformation which is to be transmitted to the cell 1-1 by using thedownlink common channel, from the radio network controller 10.

The transmission timing information receiving unit 21 b is configured toreceive transmission timing information including a delay timedifference of the cell 1-1, from the radio network controller 10.

The transmission timing information receiving unit 21 b can beconfigured to receive the transmission timing information including thedelay time between the time when the radio network controller 10transmits the downlink information and the time when the base station20A transmits the downlink information to the cell 1-1 and the maximumpermissible delay times in the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2, so as tocalculate the delay time difference in accordance with the receivedtransmission timing information.

The signal transmitting unit 21 c is configured to delay transmission ofthe downlink information, which is transmitted from the radio networkcontroller 10, to the cell 1-1 using the downlink common channel by thedelay time difference.

The signal transmitting unit 21 c can be configured to transmit thedownlink information, which is transmitted from the radio networkcontroller 10, to the cell 1-1, in accordance with an instructionregarding to the cell by the radio network controller 10.

Referring to FIG. 10, an operation of the radio communications systemaccording to the second embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 10, in step S2001, the delay time measuring unit 11 ofthe radio network controller 10 measures each delay time between thetime when the radio network controller 10 transmits the downlinkinformation and the time when each of the base stations 20A and 20Btransmits the downlink information to each of the plurality of cells 1-1to 2-2.

In step S2002, the delay time storing unit 12 of the radio networkcontroller 10 stores the delay times measured by the delay timemeasuring unit 11 of the radio network controller 10.

In step S2003, the delay time measuring unit 11 of the radio networkcontroller 10 calculates each delay time difference which is adifference between each of measured delay times and each of maximumpermissible delay times in the plurality of cells.

In step S2004, the transmission timing controlling unit 13 of the radionetwork controller 10 instructs the base stations 20A and 20B to delaytransmission of the downlink information to each of the plurality ofcells 1-1 to 2-2 by each of the delay time differences, by transmittingtransmission timing information including the above mentioned delay timedifferences.

In step S2005, each of the base stations 20A and 20B delays transmissionof the received downlink information by using the downlink commonchannel for each cell by each of the delay time differences.

Subsequently, the mobile station 30 performs the soft combining processor the selective combining process on the plurality of same downlinkinformation received in the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2.

According to the radio communications system of the second embodiment,it is possible for each of the base stations 20A and 20B to control thetiming for transmitting the downlink information to the plurality ofcells 1-1 to 2-2, in accordance with the delay time difference which isincluded in the transmission timing information transmitted from theradio network controller 10. Therefore, the mobile station 30 canreceive and combine the downlink common channels from the plurality ofcells 1-1 to 2-2.

<Modification 1>

In a radio communications system according to a modification 1 of thepresent invention, the delay time measuring unit 11 of the radio networkcontroller 10 is configured to measure the above mentioned delay times,in accordance with the sum of each “cell unique timing offset” and each“cell common channel timing offset”.

Here, the cell unique timing offset is a difference between transmissiontiming of a base station common frame which is common in the basestation 20A (or 20B) and transmission timing of a cell unique framewhich is unique to each of the plurality of cells 1-1 to 2-2.

The cell common channel timing offset is a difference between thetransmission timing of the cell unique frame and transmission timing ofa cell common channel frame which is unique in the plurality of cells1-1 to 2-2.

Referring to FIG. 11, a method for measuring a delay time according tothe modification 1 will be explained.

FIG. 11 shows transmission timing of a radio network controller 10 frame(RFN timing), transmission timing of a base station 20A common frame(BFN timing), transmission timing of a cell 1-1 unique frame (SFNtiming) and transmission timing of a cell 1-1 common channel frame (MFNtiming).

Here, the RFN is a frame number counter for the radio network controller10 frame, the BFN is a frame number counter for the base station 20Acommon frame, the SFN is a frame number counter for the cell 1-1 uniqueframe, and the MFN is a frame number counter for the cell 1-1 commonchannel frame.

The base station 20A common frame is used commonly in the all cells 1-1to 1-2 which are managed by the base station 20A. The cell 1-1 uniqueframe is transmitted in the broadcast channels of the cell 1-1, andcommon control channels such as pilot channels, synchronization channelsand so on are transmitted at the same timing. The cell 1-1 commonchannel frame is applied for the common channels (multicast data) in thecell 1-1.

In the modification 1, when node synchronization is established betweenthe radio network controller 10 and the base station 20A, an “RFN_BFNtiming offset” which is a difference between the transmission timing ofthe radio network controller 10 frame (the RFN timing) and thetransmission timing of the base station 20A common frame (the BFNtiming) is configured to be acquired.

A “BFN_SFN timing offset (the cell unique timing offset) T1” which is adifference between the transmission timing of the base station 20Acommon frame (the BFN timing) and the transmission timing of the cell1-1 unique frame (the SFN timing) is managed by the base station 20A.The “BFN_SFN timing offset T1” can be configured to be instructed by theradio network controller 10.

An “SFN_MFN timing offset (the cell common channel timing offset) TC1”which is a difference between the transmission timing of the cell 1-1unique frame (the SFN timing) and the transmission timing of the cell1-1 common channel frame (the MFN timing) can be configured to bedirected by the radio network controller 10.

The delay time measuring unit 11 of the radio network controller 10 cancalculate the above mentioned delay time (in an example of FIG. 11, the“RFN_BFN timing offset”—a “BFN_MFN timing offset”), by using the“BFN_MFN timing offset”, which is the sum of the “BFN_SFN timing offsetT1” and the “SFN_MFN timing offset TC1”, and the “RFN_BFN timingoffset”.

As a result, for example, the transmission timing controlling unit 13 ofthe radio network controller 10 can control the “SFN_MFN timing offsetTC1” based on the above mentioned delay time, so that the mobile stationcan receive and combine the downlink common channels from the pluralityof cells.

<Modification 2>

In a radio communications system according to a modification 2 of thepresent invention, the delay time measuring unit 11 of the radio networkcontroller 10 is configured to measure the delay time in accordance withtiming difference information acquired when synchronization of a commonchannel is established between the radio network controller 10 and eachof the base stations 20A and 20B.

To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 12, when a common channel isestablished between the radio network controller 10 and each of the basestations 20A and 20B, the radio network controller 10 transmits a commonchannel synchronization request signal to each of the base stations 20Aand 20B and each of the base stations 20A and 20B transmits a commonchannel synchronization response signal to the radio network controller10 in response to the common channel synchronization request signal.

The delay time measuring unit 11 is configured to acquire the abovementioned timing difference information from the received common channelsynchronization response signal.

For example, when synchronization of the above mentioned common channelis established, the delay time measuring unit 11 of the radio networkcontroller 10 can acquire a difference between the transmission timingof the radio network controller 10 frame (the RFN timing) and thetransmission timing of the cell common channel frame (the MFN timing) ineach cell as the above mentioned timing difference information, so as tomeasure the above mentioned delay time.

As a result, the transmission timing controlling unit 13 of the radionetwork controller 10 can control the “SFN_MFN timing offset TC1” basedon the above mentioned delay time, so that the mobile station canreceive and combine the downlink common channels from the plurality ofcells.

The present invention can provide a radio communications system whichcontrols transmission timing of downlink common channels among aplurality of cells so that a mobile station receives and combines thedownlink common channels from the plurality of cells, a radio networkcontroller and a base station.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects isnot limited to the specific details and the representative embodimentshown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may bemade without departing from the scope of the general inventive conceptas defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A radio communications system which transmits same downlinkinformation from each of a plurality of cells by using downlink commonchannels, the system comprising: a calculating unit configured tocalculate, for each of the plurality of cells, a first timing offsetthat is a difference between a time when a radio network controllertransmits the downlink information and a time when a base stationtransmits the downlink information to each of the plurality of cells,and a second timing offset that is a difference between the time whenthe base station transmits the downlink information to each of theplurality of cells and a transmission timing of a cell unique frametransmitted from the base station to each of the plurality of cells,wherein transmission timings for transmitting the same downlinkinformation from each of the plurality of cells are aligned based on thefirst timing offset and the second timing offset, which are calculatedfor each of the plurality of cells.
 2. The radio communications systemaccording to claim 1, wherein: the calculating unit calculates the firsttiming offset and the second timing offset based on a synchronizationrequest signal transmitted from the radio network controller to the basestation and a synchronization response signal transmitted from the basestation to the radio network controller in response to thesynchronization request signal.
 3. A radio network controllerimplemented in a radio communications system which transmits samedownlink information from each of a plurality of cells by using downlinkcommon channels, the radio network controller comprising: a calculatingunit configured to calculate, for each of the plurality of cells, afirst timing offset that is a difference between a time when the radionetwork controller transmits the downlink information and a time when abase station transmits the downlink information to each of the pluralityof cells, and a second timing offset that is a difference between thetime when the base station transmits the downlink information to each ofthe plurality of cells and a transmission timing of a cell unique frametransmitted from the base station to each of the plurality of cells,wherein transmission timings for transmitting the same downlinkinformation from each of the plurality of cells are aligned based on thefirst timing offset and the second timing offset, which are calculatedfor each of the plurality of cells.
 4. The radio network controlleraccording to claim 3, wherein: the calculating unit calculates the firsttiming offset and the second timing offset based on a synchronizationrequest signal transmitted from the radio network controller to the basestation and a synchronization response signal transmitted from the basestation to the radio network controller in response to thesynchronization request signal.
 5. A method for radio communications inwhich same downlink information is transmitted from each of a pluralityof cells using downlink common channels, the method comprising:calculating, at a radio network controller, for each of the plurality ofcells, a first timing offset that is a difference between a time whenthe radio network controller transmits the downlink information and atime when a base station transmits the downlink information to each ofthe plurality of cells; calculating, at the radio network controller, asecond timing offset that is a difference between the time when the basestation transmits the downlink information to each of the plurality ofcells and a transmission timing of a cell unique frame transmitted fromthe base station to each of the plurality of cells; and aligningtransmission timings for transmitting the same downlink information fromeach of the plurality of cells based on the first timing offset and thesecond timing offset, which are calculated for each of the plurality ofcells.
 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:calculating the first timing offset and the second timing offset basedon a synchronization request signal transmitted from the radio networkcontroller to the base station and a synchronization response signaltransmitted from the base station to the radio network controller inresponse to the synchronization request signal.